Law ministry rejects HRD’s proposal on powers to regulate technical institutes
A highly-placed source at the HRD ministry on Tuesday said, ‘The HRD ministry had sought a legal advice on the proposal following an apex court ruling earlier this year striking down AICTE’s regulatory powers over technical institutes.
The apex court ruling has said that colleges affiliated to a university do not come under the purview of the definition of ‘technical institution’ as defined in section 2 (g&h) of AICTE Act, 1987.
As per the HRD ministry proposal, AICTE would have gone through the affiliation process and UGC would have ratified it.
‘However, the law ministry has struck down the proposal,’ said officials in the ministry.
Earlier, a move by HRD ministry to promulgate an ordinance to restore the powers of AICTE was shelved quietly later over concerns of it being carried through.
At present, there are about 55 to 60 technical universities in the country, with dozens of colleges affiliated to them.
The UGC, in the meanwhile, has already come out with draft regulations for approval of colleges under which every university shall maintain a list of unapproved colleges offering programmes in technical education based on the information received and verified by the university and shall also inform the UGC and general public about the same from time to time.
Besides, any college offering technical education and which has already started without following approval procedure shall be treated as unapproved college.
The apex court ruling has said that colleges affiliated to a university do not come under the purview of the definition of ‘technical institution’ as defined in section 2 (g&h) of AICTE Act, 1987.
As per the HRD ministry proposal, AICTE would have gone through the affiliation process and UGC would have ratified it.
‘However, the law ministry has struck down the proposal,’ said officials in the ministry.
Earlier, a move by HRD ministry to promulgate an ordinance to restore the powers of AICTE was shelved quietly later over concerns of it being carried through.
At present, there are about 55 to 60 technical universities in the country, with dozens of colleges affiliated to them.
The UGC, in the meanwhile, has already come out with draft regulations for approval of colleges under which every university shall maintain a list of unapproved colleges offering programmes in technical education based on the information received and verified by the university and shall also inform the UGC and general public about the same from time to time.
Besides, any college offering technical education and which has already started without following approval procedure shall be treated as unapproved college.